Just My Luck
by tiffaninichole
Summary: Alice is an international pop sensation, living out of a suitcase. Jasper is a bookworm, living with his best friends in the small town of Forks. Fate decides to intervene and bring the two together-they're about to meet in the oddest of ways. ON HIATUS.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:**

**My first Jalice fic :-) This is also my first time writing from a guys POV. Hope you all enjoy. Let me know what you think :-)**

**--------------**

"Hey Jas, we're about to head out, man. Are you _positive_ you don't wanna come? I'm sure we could find a ticket _somewhere_ for you..."

"Nah, Ed, I'm good. I don't wanna put y'all out if we all get there and I can't bum a ticket off somebody. I'll be fine here."

He sighs and gives me a guilty smirk. "Alright, man. Well, we'll see you later."

"No prob, have a good time."

Edward leaves and closes the door behind him. I hear all of their cars pull out of the driveway before walking over to my computer. I need to relieve some tension and WoW is calling my name.

Honestly, I _am_ pretty peeved that I was left out of their plans. Just because I don't know who this _Ali_ girl is doesn't mean I wouldn't enjoy her concert. Even if I didn't enjoy the show, I could still say I had a fun night out with my pals. Edward swore up and down that he tried everything in his power to get me a ticket, but since this Ali girl is apparently a super hot commodity, the tickets sold out too fast. Since I have no clue who this girl is, Ed figured I wouldn't mind missing the concert.

I now have no one to talk to since everyone I know is going to see Ali. Literally every single person I've ever known or even frakkin' _glanced_ at is going to this concert. So now I'm gonna have to endure weeks if not _months_ of everyone talking about the concert that I didn't attend. Yippee.

While my computer boots up, I walk into the kitchen to find the number for Dan's Pizza. Although _they'll_ probably be at the concert, too. Just my luck, I miss the uber-popular Ali performance while simultaneously starving to death. After rummaging for a few minutes, I find the number and praise Xenu when they answer the phone. I order a large deep-dish pepperoni with a side of Ranch dressing. Nothin' better than a slice of deep-dish pepperoni dipped in Ranch. My mouth waters just thinking about the scrumptious deliciousness coming my way.

I walk back to my computer and almost pass the hell out when I see it frozen with porn pop-ups on every inch of the screen.

_Emmett._

That fuckin' motherfu... my fists clench up and shake with fury. I told that big, hairy ass Yeti to stop watching porn on my fucking computer after he fucked it up the last time! Who the fuck watches so much girl-on-girl that they ruin a fucking _computer_?! _Fucking Emmett_.

I'm in no state of mind to fix my baby right now. Way too angry to concentrate and do it right, I close my eyes and take a few deep breaths before returning to the living room. I plop down on the couch and angrily grab the remote, turning on the TV.

_"I agree, Ryan! Ali is definitely _the _hottest pop star of our generation! Speaking of Ali, she'll be performing at yet _another _sold-out venue in Seattle tonight and__ all__ you Ali-Cats are in for a huge surprise, since she'll be bringing--"_

I huff and turn the channel. Is this girl all _anyone_ can talk about? I'll bet she's some blonde bimbo with huge water balloons glued to her chest. After thirty minutes of channel surfing, I give up and decide to put in a movie. _Hmmm... __WarGames __or Fanboy__s__?_

I think I'll go with _Fanboys_ tonight. Epically hilarious. As soon as the DVD disappears into the player, the doorbell rings. Must be the pizza. _Wow, that was fast!_ Then again, I'm most likely their only customer tonight.

"Wait a second!" I yell as I run to my room for my wallet. When I find it, I jog back to the front door, already tasting the scrumptious grease-fest that would soon be digesting in my bowels. Reaching into my wallet, I open the door.

"Alright, how much do I owe ya…" The question dies in my throat as my eyeballs are assaulted by the most beautiful... striking... magnificent... gorgeous... stunning creature to ever grace this Earth.

"Um... hi." Her voice is like honey and sunshine and rainbows and pots-o-gold. "This may sound weird, but my car broke down a few miles back and I was wondering if I could use your phone?"

_Phone? What's a phone? _I have no clue, but I'll give you anything you want as long as you keep talking...

"Uh.... yeah, sure... come on in."

Her elfin face visibly relaxes. "Oh, good. Thank you so much!"

Goddess of Magnificence makes a move to step through the door, but pauses mid-step. She leans forward slightly, a few inches from my face. I discreetly take a whiff of the air around her and almost jizz in my pants. _That must be how God smells..._

"Um... are there any teenagers in there?" she asks in a hushed whisper.

_Teenagers?_ Weeeiiird.

"Noooo..."

Her shoulders slump and she breathes a sigh of relief before gracing me with a sunbeam smile. Jeez, what have teenagers ever done to _her_? _Who the hell cares? I'll do anything to see her smile at me like that again. _Maybe I can bring a few teens here and beat them up in front of her. Nothing says "have my future babies" like beating up some pimply, hormonal high school kids.

"I know this is probably really strange, I feel horrible for interrupting your night. It's just that I got lost—_gosh_, I never should have left my hotel," she rambles on, "but I was just so stuck on having a bit of freedom for even just a little while. Z warned me not to go, but of course I didn't listen. So here I am, in the middle of this forest. Your house is the only one around, so—"

"No need to explain, it's no trouble at all," _my bride to be. _"You weren't interrupting anything. In fact, I was just sittin' here by my lonesome, about to watch a movie. All of my friends ditched me to see some teeny-bopper named Ali, shake her boobs while lip-syncing to cliché bubble gum pop."

Her eyes widen and she covers her mouth as she succumbs to a fit of giggles.

"What's so funny? You a fan of that Ali girl?" _Oh shit! Damage control! Apologize, stupid head!_ "Um, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you or anything. I guess I'm just a little irritated tonight..."

"No, it's fine, really... you _really_ don't know, do you?"

_Uuuummmmmm..._

I'm sure the confusion on my face is plain as day. She smiles adorably at me and my brain turns into jelly. _Narf_.

"Oh, nothing. It's just that... it's so _refreshing_ to meet someone who doesn't talk about Ali all of the time. Sometimes I wish I could live in a world where she didn't exist, ya know?"

This girl's smile will be the end of me. I laugh and stick my hands in my pockets before I give her a hug or some shit. "Damn, is her music _that_ bad?"

She giggles again and I'm tempted to pull out my cell phone to record the sound. Make it my ringtone. And the sound for incoming text messages. And my alarm clock.

"No, she doesn't annoy me at all. I just get... Ali'd out, sometimes. So, anywho, what were you watching?"

"Oh, this geeky movie. You wouldn't be interested..." My voice tapers off and I rub the back of my head. Embarrassed is an understatement, she'll think I'm a nerdy tool now, for sure.

"Yeah? Try me."

"Um... _Fanboys_..." _Kill me. Kill me a lot._

"_Really_?!" She bounces up and down in excitement. I may or may _not_ have momentarily glanced at her jiggling boobs. Okay, I definitely did_._ Giggety. "I've always wanted to see that, but I'm always too busy! Do you mind if I watch it with you?"

_Watch it? With _me_?! __Is that angels I hear? Singing from the heavens?_

"Of course!!!" I yell a little _too _over-enthusiastically. _Smooth, taint muncher. Freak her out, why don't you???_

She walks toward the couch and I follow behind her. I may or may _not_ have glanced at her round little ass for a few seconds longer than what is deemed socially acceptable.

I then realize that I don't know this delectable creature's name. I have to have _something _to doodle in my notebook like a twelve-year-old girl.

"Hey, err, what's your name?"

"Oh my gosh! How rude of me! Barging into your house and I don't even introduce myself!"

"You didn't barge into my house." _But you _did_ barge into my heart._ "No worries at all. I just wanted to know your name is all." So I can mentally pair it with my surname.

She reaches her hand out to me and smiles that jaw-dropping smile. I may or may _not_ have had to squirm in my seat to inconspicuously re-adjust my "situation"...

"My name is Alice. Alice Brandon."

_Alice Whitlock_. _The most beautiful name in the history of names. Alice Brandon-Whitlock. Sigh... Well, don't just sit there, you big stupid! Tell her your name!_

I grab her teeny little hand and hold it in mine. _So soft_. "My name's Jasper Whitlock. Pleasure to meet you, Alice." _Whitlock..._

We sit there, me holding Alice's hand, looking into her hazel eyes, for a little longer than necessary. I reluctantly pull my hand away, not wanting to creep the poor girl out, and decide to hurriedly change the subject.

"So... ah... you're not from here?" I inwardly cringe at my own stupidity. _Of _course_she's not from here, idiot bitch!_

"Nope," she answers. "I'm from all over, really. I travel so much, I don't even remember where I'm from anymore!" There goes that giggle again. I return her laughter with what I'm sure is a dreamy/stalker-like smile.

"So why do you travel so much?"

She looks a little uncomfortable before answering "Um... it's for work. I travel a lot due to the hectic nature of my job."

"Oh? What is it you do? How is someone so young, so busy?"

"Um..." Alice starts squirming in her seat and I silently wonder why her work is such a sore subject.

Right when she opens her mouth to speak, the doorbell rings. She lets out a small sigh of relief. _WTF?_

I give her a small smile before getting off of the couch. "Pizza!" I say/yell before rushing to the door.

_Damn, what is this girl doing to me?_

-------------

**A/N:**

**I don't plan on drawing this out. It'll probably be 5-6 chapters. Future chappies will definitely be longer :-)**

**Do you guys want this story to be strictly JPOV or would you like some APOV as well? Let me know, babes!**

**OH! My Jasperlicious one shots (Dodgeball! and Dirty Movie) were nominated for the Everything's Bigger In Texas Awards. Dodgeball! was nominated for the Best Original Storyline and Dirty Movie was nom'd in the Best AH Jasper, Best Way To Get Rid of Alice/Edward and I Dream of Bella categories! Yippee! Be sure to vote and take a look at all of the Jasper yumminess *licks lips suggestively***

**Here's the linkage, close the gaps and get ta votin'! =D :**

**http:// spreadsheets . google . com / viewform?formkey =**

**Until next time! Smooches! ^_^**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:**

**I don't own Twilight. If I did, I would have written myself into the book. And I would pretty much just screw vampires all day. Talk about living the high-life!**

-----------------

While walking to the door to get the pizza, I hear Alice quietly mumbling to herself. Pep talk, maybe? _Could she possibly find me attractive?_ Just the thought makes me wanna pick up my phone and blog to my seven followers about it.

Opening the door with wallet in hand, I see some pimply-faced teenager and I quickly fantasize about dragging him into the living room and clobbering his face while Alice looks on, bouncing and clapping with glee. _Anything to make my wife-to-be happy._

"So, uh, how much?"

The kid looks down at the receipt, "It'll be $10.78."

While counting out the money, the kid decides to make small talk. "Hey man, why aren't you at the Ali concert? Everyone is there tonight."

I inwardly cringe at the mention of the sickly generic name. "My friends kinda ditched me," I answer honestly.

"Oh, well, you're not missing much. I heard she didn't even show—"

"Okay! Here's your money! Have a good night!"

I hurriedly close the door in his face. _Can anyone on this damn planet resist the urge to talk about Ali?!_

I walk back to my awaiting succulent temptress. Before reaching the couch, I pause to take a few deep breaths. And, okay, I also paused to brazenly ogle her.

After a fair amount of staring, I decide to stop while I'm ahead. Don't want her catching me drooling over the back of her head making her freaked out by the nerdy stranger in _Scooby Doo_ pajama pants. _Holy fuck! I'm wearing fucking _Scooby Doo_ pajama pants!!! NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!__ God has pwned me!_

I silently work through all of my options:

Option 1) Hurry and run to my room and change into something more manly. Though I doubt my Broxigar the Red costume would impress her...

Option 2) Take off the offending pants and proceed to walk around in my boxer briefs, then act oblivious to the blatant fact that my pants are missing. Though she might not appreciate the diamond-hard state my dick is constantly in when in her vicinity...

Option 3) Keep the pants on and pretend as though I'm not unbelievably mortified. Chicks dig confident dudes, right? Even though I'm the complete opposite of confident right now, I can _pretend_ that I am. Yeah, that's it. I pretend all of the time while playing WoW, doing it in real life should be a piece of cake!

So it's settled. I'll keep the offending pants on and act like I don't give a fuck. Like I'm such a confident, badass, manly-man, that I can walk around in whatever the fuck I want and not give a damn who sees. Macho Jasper. Jasper the Butch. Naw, butch sounds too... lesbian-ish. Macho is good. Manly. Yeah.

"Oh! Jasper! You scared me! I didn't see you standing there!"

_Fuuuuck!__ Caught watching her like a damn stalker, good job, doucheface!_

"Uh, oh yeah, uh, I was just thinking about..." _Think of something, dummy!_ "Teletubbies!" _Facepalm._

She smiles sweetly. "Teletubbies? Really?!"

_Lie!_ "Sure, it's a good show, ya know? Good for the kids and everything. Educational and adorably cute all rolled into one." _Please die __immediately._

"Well, I can certainly tell that you like cartoons..." She raises one perfect eyebrow and glances at my pants, smirking mischievously. I lower the pizza box to cover my crotch, hoping it will camouflage the major stiffie trying to poke through Scooby's eyeball.

"Yeah! I mean, yeah, you know. Cartoons are pretty awesome. Funny and stuff..."

"I wish I had more time to watch them, but I _have_ seen _Spongebob_ and _Chowder_ a few times. They're pretty funny."

I sit down next to Alice on the couch and place the pizza on the table. "_Chowder's_ cool as hell. Raddah! Raddah-raddah, raddah-raddah-raddha?"

She throws her head back and lets out an infectious laugh. I can't help but chuckle right along with her.

"I like you, Jasper. You're pretty funny! It's been a while since I was able to just relax like this. It feels really good."

Yet another mention of her high-stress job. I wonder what the hell she does that keeps her so damn busy. How can someone so young live such a hectic lifestyle? I'm incredibly curious, but decide against bringing it up again. I don't want to make her uncomfortable or anything. If she wants to tell me, she'll tell me. No big deal.

"Thanks, Alice. I... I like you, too."

Wow, did I really just admit that I like her? Well, I guess that's less creeperific than professing my undying love and pulling out Grandma's heirloom wedding ring. _Baby steps._

I open up the pizza box and grab a slice of fatty delight.

Alice looks at me quizzically, like I have snot on my forehead or some shit. "You're not gonna use a plate?"

"Uuum... no?"

"Why not?"

"Why would I?"

"It's food."

"It's _pizza_. Pizza is its own food group. Plus it's finger food. You don't need a plate with finger food."

She laughs. "_Finger_ food? More like _hands and fingers _food!"

"Relax and live a little! Seriously, pizza tastes better without a plate. No lie. Try it."

She hesitates before picking up a slice between her thumb and pointer finger as if it were a dirty sock.

"Aw, come on, now! Don't disrespect the pizza! You have to grasp it, cuddle it, savor it, love it." I bring my slice to my face and kiss it before turning my head and smiling at her.

"Wow. I'm speechless"

"I know how you feel. Pizza _is _pretty awesome. But you'll get used to its cheesy prowess, what, with my being your Sensei and all."

We both break out laughing and Alice takes a big bite of her pizza slice. "That _is_ pretty tasty, Jasper. But what's the Ranch for?"

My heartbeat stutters when my name leaves her lips. Those luscious, tantalizing lips... "The Ranch, my dear Alice, is for dipping."

"You dip pizza in Ranch dressing?"

"It goes against the laws of the universe to eat pepperoni pizza any other way." I snatch her pizza and dip the tip in Ranch. "Taste."

Alice rolls her eyes and takes the slice back. "I'm holding you accountable if I puke." She takes a tentative bite and chews slowly.

"Awesome, right? You won't be able to eat pizza any other way now that you've been enlightened by your master. You're welcome."

She opens her mouth to speak, but my phone rings, "Small Lean" by 100 Monkeys filling the silence of the room.

I grab my cell off of the table and see it's Edward. _Hmm, weird_. "Sorry," I tell Alice, "it's my roommate, I gotta take this."

She smiles at me, looking all tiny and cute. I just wanna hug her and maybe sneak in an ass squeeze...

Pushing "talk," I put the phone to my ear. "Hey Edward. What's up?"

"Jas, man, the whole night is a bust, Ali was a no-show! No one knows where she is—everyone is freaking out, trying to find her. Fuckin' crazy! We're on our way home now, so we should be there in about an hour."

"Wow, that sucks man. Hopefully you'll get your money back or somethin'. But I'll see ya when you get here."

"Alright, man. Bye."

I hang up my phone and place it back on the table.

"Is everything okay?"

"Oh, yeah. My friends went to the Ali concert, but they're on their way home because she didn't show up."

Her face pales and she looks close to upchucking.

"Alice? You okay?" I reach over and feel her forehead. She feels cold and clammy. _Damn_, _maybe the Ranch wasn't a good idea._

"Um, I really have to go. As soon as possible. I have to get back to work. I shouldn't have stayed this long." She hastily gets off the couch and jogs to the door.

"Wait! Alice, hold on!"

She stops and looks at me with wide, pleading eyes. "Please, Jasper. I have to go."

"I know, but you're lost. Remember?"

Her eyes widen even more, which I wouldn't have thought was possible. Her sockets are defying the laws of physics right about now.

"Calm down, Alice, okay? I'll help you."

I grab her shoulders and look down at her. "Trust me, okay? It'll be fine."

She takes a deep breath, closes her eyes and nods slowly.

"Alright. Now, I have an extra cell phone that I don't use—"

"Why would you have an extra phone?"

_Because I'm a nerd and buy phones to play with and hack as a hobby_.

"Uh, don't ask. Anyway, I have a Tom-Tom GPS program on it that's set and ready to go. It's unlocked, so your sim card won't be a problem."

"Sim card?"

_Oh boy._

"Okay, what kind of phone do you have?"

She lowers her gaze. "You'll laugh at me..."

"Why would I laugh at you?"

"Well, you're obviously into phones and mine isn't all cream-of-the-crop or anything."

"I promise I won't laugh. I have a unique appreciation for all cell phones."

"It's a T-Mobile Wing."

"Aw, that's not bad at all! Old as hell, but you can trick a Wing out and make it cool as hell."

"Really?"

"Really. But we can talk about that another time. Now, do you remember that tiny little white piece of plastic that's above the battery?"

"Yeah, I think so..."

"That's your sim card. Take it out and put it in the phone I'm giving you. You'll be able to make calls and use the internet. Hold on."

I begrudgingly let go of her slim shoulders and run to my room to get the phone. When I come back, Alice looks a lot calmer.

"Okay, the battery's at about sixty percent but that should be more than enough to get you where you need to go. I have a few battery hacks in there to prolong the battery life. As long as you don't use Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, you'll be good to go."

I rapidly program my house and cell numbers into the phone before pulling up the GPS program so she'll quickly be able to put in her destination address.

"Alright, I have my numbers in here so you can call... you know... if you want to... or anything. And the GPS thing is right here. All you have to do is enter your destination and press 'go.'"

"I'm—wow, thank you so much, Jasper. You don't know how much this means to me."

One second Alice is standing in front of me, and the next, she's in my arms. I don't question it. I just grip her tightly and bask in her scent. Warm, enticing vanilla and angel wing feathers.

She pulls away much too quickly. Then again, it would have been too quickly if we'd hugged for two weeks.

"I'd better get going."

"Yeah..."

"Thank you, again. For everything. You really don't know how much all of this means to me."

"No thanks are needed. I had a great time."

"Me too..."

We stand at my door, gazing into each other's eyes. I feel like I could swim in those sparkling, beautiful hazel eyes of hers.

Before I know what I'm doing, my lips are lightly brushing against her forehead. She takes in a quick breath and I immediately back up, feeling like a damn molester. Just my luck, I've scared her off before I even had a frakkin' chance! _You're such an ass sausage!_

"I'm sorry—"

"No, it's totally okay. Just surprised me." She smiles charmingly at me and my heart feels like it's been brought back to life after years of dormancy. "Well, I should go..."

"Oh! Yeah, sure!"

She turns and walks out of the door, into the cold night.

_She can't walk by herself, dickweed!_ "Alice, hold on!"

She stops and I grab a random jacket out of the closet by the front door, handing it to her. When she reaches to grab it, I hold it open, so she can put her arms in.

"Thanks, Jasper."

"No problem at all. Hey, you know you can't walk alone, right? No tellin' what's lurkin' out there. How far is your car?"

"Oh, um, it's not far at all. A mile or two, maybe."

"Way too far for you to be walkin' alone, Alice." I playfully scold and raise my eyebrow at her and hold out my arm for her to grab.

As soon as our arms are linked, I'm floating on cloud nine, and relishing the heat of her skin next to mine. I'm sure we had a conversation on the way to her car, but I can't be bothered to remember it. I was too caught up in the smell, feel and _aura_ of Alice.

We reach her car far too soon and I'm yanked out of my little love bubble.

"I really don't want to go, but my mana... _boss... _is probably going nuts looking for me."

"I understand. I wish you could stay, too, though. Can you call me later, to let me know you got home safe?"

"Of course."

I reach for her hand and rub her knuckles with my thumb, memorizing the daintiness of it, the feel of her skin. After a few seconds, I let go of her hand and open the driver's side door for her.

"You'd better get going. Don't want your boss layin' into you."

"Right. I should go. Definitely. Thank you, Jasper." She gives me a half-hearted smile before getting in her car and speeding off into the night.

I sigh and slowly walk back home, feeling incredibly empty, which is really fuckin' weird because I hardly even know the girl. I decide to run back to my place. I run a few miles daily and it always helps to clear my mind and level my head.

By the time I get back home, Edward's and Emmett's cars are in the driveway. Entering the house, I see they're huddled in front of the living room TV with wide eyes, watching some _E!_ _News_ special, hanging on every word that spews out of the reporter's mouth. I really don't feel like dealing with them right now, so I just mumble a quick, "Hey," walking straight to my room. I doubt they even realized I was home, since they're so wrapped up in some dumbass celebrity gossip. While making my way to my bedroom, I tune in to what the correspondent is talking about, wondering what was so damn intriguing to E and Em.

_"We haven't gotten official word yet, but Ali _has_ been found. She apologized profusely, claiming she was lost in a—"_

I roughly slam my door. _I'm so damn sick of hearing her name!_

I really should take a shower after running, but I don't feel like it. I just quickly wash my face and plop down on my bed, thinking of Alice as sleep drags me under.

----------------

**A/N:**

**First off, I wanna thank all of you for your reviews, favorites, alerts and encouragement! I appreciate it so much! You guys rock! For you lurkers, let me know what you think, even if it's a simple little smiley face :-)**

**I'm working on a fuckhot collab with fellow Jasper enthusiast Kitty Cullen-03 and it's gonna be smuterific. Put me on alert, so you'll know when I post it!**

**coachlady1 is my beta and she's the hawtness. Her Edward/Bella story = happiness and sexy times. Check it out!**

**Until next time! Smooches! ^_^**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:**

**I don't own Twilight. If I did, there would have been no fade to black. The honeymoon would have been nice and lemony. I'm talking multiple lemony here, people. Well, who am I kidding? The whole book would pretty much be sparkly vamp porn. Ohhhh yeah, baby!**

**-------------------**

One time. She's called _one fucking time._ Two weeks and she's only called me once from a blocked number. The conversation was hurried and she was whispering as if she were hiding from someone. Or it could be she was ashamed of me. Either one of those scenarios don't sit right with me at all._ Not one fucking bit_. If she was hiding, did that mean she had a boyfriend? Is she married? Engaged? And if she was ashamed, well, that just fucking blows. Hard.

I've been stewing in my anger and annoyance, lashing out at every-fucking-body. Especially E and Em. I wanna feel bad about it, but I'm so pissed off, it makes me feel better to piss someone else off. Yeah, that's real dickheadish of me. But... oh fucking well. The woman that I foolishly fell head over heels for is either married or doesn't want anyone knowing she's semi-dating some nobody geek from nowhere. _Are we even dating?_ Does flirting and butterflies followed by _one _phone call constitute as dating. Hell no._ I'm such a fucking tool_. A dumb ass, pathetic, Scooby Doo-pajama-wearing tool. I'll bet those stupid pants were what ruined my chances. _I'll burn those fucking pants to a crisp if they ruined my chance with Alice._

Just my luck, the one woman on this planet that I want beyond all reason, wants nothing to do with me._ What the fuck did I do in a past life to deserve this shit?_ Was I a fucking murderous vampire or something? Hell, knowing my luck, I'd be a fucking sparkly vampire with really stupid hair, forced to drink deer blood for all eternity.

I mean, really. _What the fuck?_ The spark was there, I know I wasn't the only one who felt it! That shit was crackling in the air like Rice Krispies and Pop Rocks._ Why the hell won't she call?_ I know she's busy, but damn.

"JASPER! PACKAGE FOR YOU!"

Emmett's loud ass. I can hear him clear across the other side of the house with all of the doors closed. _Package, huh?_ I wonder if it's brownies from Mom. I swear her brownies can cure any ailment or disease. Got a cold? Eat Mom's brownies. Have dandruff? Eat Mom's brownies. Got hit by a car? Eat Mom's brownies. Had a one night stand with a stripper named Klitoria Teabags and you now have herpes? Eat Mom's brownies.

_Th__at greedy fucker better not be eating my brownies! _

I run from my room and dash to the kitchen to find Emmett stuffing his stupid face.

"You'd better not be eating my fucking brownies, you pricky dickmuncher!"

He stops chewing mid-bite. "Or what?" he asks, mouth stuffed, food particles flying around him in a fine mist, landing everywhere within a three-foot radius. Nasty fucker.

"Or I'll kick a mudhole in your ass and then stomp it dry."

"Gee, _Assper_, I'd be really fucking scared right about now... if your pants weren't tighter than my _girlfriend's!!_"

"Fuck you, Bitchmett! Give me my fucking brownies!"

"I don't have any goddamn brownies, Fagsper! Look at your faggety ass box. It doesn't even have a return address. Your mom always puts her address on the packages she sends. Duh!"

I roughly snatch my box off of the kitchen table and cradle it against my chest. "Shut up, Dumbett. What the hell are you eating for, anyway? You _just_ ate a full meal forty-five minutes ago, you damn greedy bastard."

"I was having a hunger attack!"

I roll my eyes and stalk back to my bedroom, still pissed at Emmett for almost eating my imaginary brownies.

"Hey Jas, come look at this new Ali video! She's so damn hot!"

I can see the TV from the corner of my eye, but I turn my head in the other direction, not at all interested in Ali and her supposed hotness. No one can compare to Alice. Not even the shallow, sex-kitten, pop tart Ali.

"Naw, Edward, I'll pass."

Before closing my bedroom door, I hear him complain, "Man, you _never_ wanna watch her videos! You don't know what you're missing out on—"

My door closes with a resounding click, muffling the sounds of his whining.

I turn on my CD player and flop down on my bed, listening to One Republic before turning my attention back to the box.

I wonder who it's from. Maybe Mom was in a hurry and forgot to write her address down. Maybe it's some crazy person, sending me anthrax. Maybe it's porn. That would be awesome. Well, no it wouldn't. None of those floppy-holed man-cream receptacles can compare to my Alice. _My_ Alice? _Slap yo-self, fool! She doesn't want you!_

_Stupid internal dialogue. Fuck you!_

I gently shake the box and put my ear to it. _Hmmm... something solid._ So I guess anthrax is out of the question. I grab my house key and use the tip to cut through the tape. I open the box and am instantly pissed off.

_She sent my fucking phone. No phone calls, no contact whatsoever and she sends me my phone?!_

One phone call and no word from her for two weeks and she just sends my damn phone back? That's so... cold and _impersonal_. _Does she want nothing to do with me?_ What the fuck?! I pick up the box and throw it across the room, a piece of paper fluttering to the ground.

_Great. What is this? An "I hate your pathetic guts, don't try to contact me again, dickweed"_ _letter?_

I unfold the paper and am assaulted by her glorious scent. I close my eyes and breathe deeply, embedding the smell into my lungs, committing it to memory. I take a deep breath before opening my eyes and reading the note.

_Dear Sensei,_

_I hope you don't take my sending your phone back the wrong way. This was the only way I could think of to get in contact with you. Talking on the phone just isn't a good idea in my line of work. Please try to understand and know that I would talk to you every day if I could._

_It's been so hard for me, not being able to talk to you when you're honestly all I think about. I'll be back in Seattle on April third. I would love to see you again, Jasper. Can you please meet at 2 PM? Pete's Diner on 811 Stewart St? I understand if you don't show up. I'll wait for you, Jasper. For as long as I can. _

_XOXOXO_

_Alice_

Oh, dear Qun! She wants to talk to me? She misses me? I'm all she thinks about? She wants to meet me? She'll wait for me? My brain is overloading. I can't believe it!

_Does not compute._

I throw myself back on my bed and stare at the ceiling, letting Alice's words absorb and soothe my frayed nerves. _She wants to see me. I'm all she thinks about._ I lift the letter to my eyes and read it again, admiring her loopy, feminine handwriting. _So cute._ I swear I've never even _thought_ of using the word "cute" until I met Alice. I feel like a douche thinking about such a girly ass word, but _cute_ suits so many things about her.

_Alice wants me to meet her._

_Oh shit! _I shoot up off of my bed and look at my calendar to find today's date. _No, no, please, fuck, no!_

Today is April third._ She wants to meet today!_

I look at the clock and curse its existence. _Two fucking forty-five! _

I grab my keys and run for the front door while hopping around, stumbling, trying to get my shoes on.

"Oh my fucking GOD! Jas! Dude! Holy fuck! You have to see these pictures of—"

"No fucking time, Emmett! I gotta go!"

"But dude, they're pictures of Ali and y—"

I slam the door and run to my car, putting it in drive before the damn thing is even turned on. By the time I'm on the road, I'm already hitting 100 mph. I press my foot harder on the gas, willing it to go faster. My knuckles are white from gripping the steering wheel so tightly, and my teeth are grinding away. I can't ease the tension in my body. She's gonna leave. I have no other way to get in contact with her. She'll think I don't forgive her, that I don't want her. _Please wait, Alice. Please don't leave. I'm coming._

--------------

**A/N:**

**Qun - The Klingon word for God.**

**Sorry for the shortness of this chapter, but I felt it needed to cut off there.**

**About two more chapters to go, people! I'm thinking of maybe lengthening the story, but... I don't know...**

**Remember that smutty Jasper one shot I talked about last chapter? Well, it's posted! Check it out in my profile, it's called Three's Company :-)**

**Two of my Jaslicious one shots are up for nomination in the Everything Is Bigger In Texas Awards. I'd love it if you all would vote for me O.O --- Puppy dog eyes.**

**http:// spreadsheets . google . com / viewform?formkey = **

**Shout outs and ass smacks to coachlady1, the hottest beta in Twi fandom!**

**Until next time! Smooches! ^_^**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:**

**I don't own Twilight. If I did, I would have never let Jackson walk on the New Moon set wearing that Little Miss Muffet wig.**

--------------

APOV

"So, Ali, I know you're pressed for time so I'll make this interview quick and easy."

I nod my head and smile politely at the thousandth interviewer I've seen today. After a while, I stopped even trying to remember names. "Thank you."

"Well, we all know that you're a very hard worker. Very loyal to your fans. In fact, you've only ever missed _one_ concert in your four years on the music scene." More nodding and smiling on my part. "Do you mind telling me what _really_ happened?"

I struggle against the urge to roll my eyes and huff. I mean, really, I've already told these people the story, why can't they just let it go? Can't I just have a night to myself? _Alone?_ Apparently not.

"Well, I've explained it numerous times. I'm sure you've heard what happened." More smiling.

She sneers at me and gives a tightlipped smile. I detect a bit of smugness in her demeanor. I don't like her one bit. I know her kind. Sneaky. Willing to do anything to get her story. Thinks she has a right to know every detail of my personal life. "Yes, I've heard. But I'd like to hear it from _you_. _Personally._"

"Well, it's quite simple, really. I took a drive to relax before my show and got lost in the woods somewhere. After taking a while to calm down, I used my common sense and my internet enabled phone," insert fake chuckle and big smile here, "and found my way back. I really do feel horrible about it all, but I'll be returning to Seattle tomorrow and I'm really excited!"

She taps her index finger on her chin and narrows her eyes at me. "Hmmm... see, that's really interesting because I have pictures that suggest you _weren't _alone in the woods."

_What?_ Pictures? Pictures of _Jasper_? Oh, no!_ No!_ I work double time to keep my breathing regulated and my face neutral.

Time to act nonchalant. _Don't let her see you sweat! _"Pictures? I don't know anything about any pictures."

Her face breaks into a wide, toothy grin and I've never seen anything so creepy in my life. "I just find it odd that you would blatantly lie to your fans, Ali. I'm... I'm _shocked_." _Deep breaths. _"Do _these_ ring a bell?"

She shoves a small pile of 8x10 photos in my face, they're dark and grainy but it's unmistakable that I'm the one in the pictures. My breath catches when I see the first one. Me and Jasper, walking intimately close on our way to my car. The second, Jasper holding my hand and me looking adoringly into his face. The third, him kissing my hand. _Deep breaths. Calm down, just stay calm._

"Care to tell us who this mystery man is, Ali? As you can see, his face is rather difficult to make out. Is he a fellow celebrity? Did you two sneak off to have a late night rendezvous?"

_They don't know who he is! _I calmly hand the pictures back to her and chuckle to make it seem as though her accusations are ridiculous. I smile and look at her condescendingly.

"No, the gentleman in the photos is not a celebrity. Just an old friend who happened to be around when I got lost. He helped me with my cell and I went on my way."

"Well, I find that rather hard to believe, Ali. Why was this young man not mentioned in your initial story?"

_Deep breaths. Keep smiling._ I chuckle again. "I didn't think seeing an old friend for a few minutes was crucial to the story. It really wasn't a big deal at all. I was lost, I panicked, he was there, he briefly helped me with my phone and I was on my way. Honestly, if I would have mentioned a man, _this,"_ I gesture toward her and the pictures, "is exactly what would have happened. False accusations and foolish assumptions. I try to avoid unnecessary drama and just stick to what I care most about. My work."

She's glaring at me and my PR agent, Bella, decides to cut in. "Well, thank you for your time, but this interview has sadly come to a close. As you know, Ali is extremely busy. We'll be in touch."

I smile and nod and get out of my seat, trying not to hyperventilate. My head security guard, Jacob, is at my side immediately and Seth, Sam and Paul join him when we step out of the room—effectively cocooning my body between them. As soon as we're in the hallway, Bella is on her phone, talking a mile a minute—damage control, I'm sure. Outside of the building is a hoard of paparazzi. It takes at least fifteen minutes to fight our way through them. Their yells for my attention are deafening and there are so many flashing lights, it's hard to even see Jacob's body directly in front of me.

When we make it to the Towncar, my bodyguards shield me and I throw myself into the car, the door swiftly shutting behind me. Bella hurriedly hangs up her phone. "OHMIGOD, A, I'm so sorry, I had no idea!"

"Yeah. A warning would have been nice."

"She must have kept those pictures under lock and key until she had a chance to interview you. I'm sure this will further Victoria's career—all part of her plan, I'm sure. She's always been a sneaky, conniving bitch."

"So what am I supposed to do?"

"You handled yourself impeccably back there, just so you know. Just stick to the story that you told Victoria and you'll be fine. A statement has already been released and I'm taking care of everything. Don't worry about it, okay?"

"Pffft." I cross my arms indigently.

"Why didn't you tell me about him? I could have come up with a believable story. This had the potential to turn really ugly."

"That's the problem, Bella! He isn't just some... _problem _that I want explained away. I don't _want_ any stories made up about him. I just wanted to keep him for myself, away from my fucked up world and my problems and my tabloid stories and the paparazzi and fucking PR agents. I just wanted to know someone pure, someone good. Someone with no ties to this... ruthless industry!"

The rest of the ride is silent, save for the sound of Bella's incessant texting on her Blackberry. I think about Jasper and wonder what he's doing. I miss him so much. I would give anything to be able to hear his voice. I tried calling once, but it almost turned into a disaster. I had snuck into a coat closet one night when there was an almost uncontrollable crowd of fans and paparazzi around. This was the only way I could call him. Any other time, I'm surrounded by people and have no privacy. I can't talk about Jasper in front of anyone. No one can be fully trusted.

I learned that the hard way when an influx of old classmates, cousins and even a few _teachers _sold me out. My high school exploits and grade transcripts were leaked, along with my medical history. Suddenly, the whole world knew that I was prescribed a Nuva Ring and anyone with internet access had access to my STD history. Not that I _had _a history, since all of my tests had come back negative, but it was _still _a gross invasion of my privacy. The nail in the coffin was when my mom sold a personal story of mine—along with pictures—to _People_ magazine for five million bucks. If you can't trust your own _mother_, you can't trust anyone. That was a tough pill to swallow—the hardest lesson I've learned since becoming "Ali."

I'd bought a pre-paid, untraceable phone some time ago just for an occasion like the one I'd found myself in—where I was completely alone, no one around to sell the story of me sneaking on a phone to some mystery man. I had to whisper and make the conversation quick before being caught. He seemed so excited to hear from me and the sound of his husky voice was like a soothing balm for my tense nerves. I heard someone coming and had to hurriedly hang up before being caught, and then stuffed the phone into my pocket.

Sam was the one who found me—I'd told him I was scared and was hiding from the unruly crowd. He bought it, even though it was a bunch of baloney. I'd been caught in immensely larger crowds before, but I guess I was believable that night. When we manhandled our way back into the throng of fans, I discreetly dropped my phone and smiled to myself when I heard it crunch under the trampling feet of the screaming mass. No one even noticed.

If anyone had found the phone and knew it belonged to me, Jasper's number would end up on every blog in the nation. Every newspaper, website and gossip mag would be calling him, asking about our relationship. Were we secretly married? Was I pregnant with his baby? Was he my bisexual lover? Would we elope in Vegas? Was I quitting my career for him? I can't do that to Jasper. I can't let them get to him... and he can't know who I am. At least, not yet. It felt _so_ good to be with someone who treated me like a normal person. Who liked me for me, and not because I'm rich or because I can get them into the hottest clubs or because I can kickoff their music career. He spent time with me because he _wanted_ to. Because I was just Alice and that was good enough for him.

But now that the pictures have been leaked it's inevitable that he's seen them. That his friends have told him about them. That he knows who I am. And he'll treat me differently, just like everyone else. He'll look at me with big, awestruck eyes and maybe even ask for an autograph. And it will break my heart.

Before I know it, we're at my hotel and next thing I know, I'm in my room with a few of my backup singers and dancers. Sometimes it's just easier if I block everything out. It really comes in handy. I probably would have broken down if I heard someone ask about the pictures.

Suddenly, I remember I'm supposed to be meeting Jasper tomorrow. _Crap!_

_Tracy_. I know she'll help me! Tracy is one of my dancers, one of the people I'm closest to. She's a little perverted and always trying to find pictures of Rob Pattinson's bulge—apparently he has an aversion to underwear—but she's really cool and I know she'll be on board with my plan. I grab a notebook and two pens and ask her to join me in the bathroom. Can't risk talking in a room full of people and anyone could listen at the bathroom door. Writing with a gel pen is easy to erase. Just run it under the water in the sink and the evidence is gone. Extreme? Yes. But I have to be.

When she joins me, I let her show me a few pictures of the indent of Rob's penis through his jeans while she squeals on and on about how hot he is. After ten minutes, it's time to get down to business. I write out my plan and show it to her, she excitedly agrees, telling me she'd do anything for her home-slice. We spend the next hour making sure to it goes off without a hitch.

When the written conversation is over, I rub liquid soap over the ink and run scalding water over the paper, erasing our plans from prying eyes. I'm sure someone would rush in here as soon as we finished, trying to find anything they could sell to a tabloid.

-----------------

I couldn't sleep last night. My nerves got the better of me. I'm so damn nervous and scared. What if he doesn't show up? What if he's mad at me? What if he sells the story to a magazine? What if he brings his friends so he can brag and look like a stud? What if the box was lost? What if he hasn't gotten it, yet? I _knew_ I should have gotten a tracking number, but I was in such a rush, I wasn't thinking clearly. _Damn it!_

Well, the plan has now been put into motion, so there's no turning back.

"Okay guys, I'm ready."

My fleet of four surrounds me as I shuffle out of my hotel room, on my way to concert rehearsal. The concert isn't until nine o'clock tonight, but I have to get up insanely early to practice all day and make sure everything's perfect. Everything from my hair, makeup, wardrobe, lighting for each song, where the dancers stand on the stage, the placement of my feet when I hit a certain note—e_verything_ is taken into consideration and it's extremely grueling. We make our way through the screaming fans and I stop to sign autographs and take pictures on the way to the car.

We're on the road for about ten minutes when a throng of paparazzo bombard the car and open my door. I smile to myself. I left my door unlocked just for this reason. Tracy did good, tipping them off. They grab at me and I'm pulled from the car. My old friend Ben sneaks up to my side and helps me run through the crowd. There are so many people, no one notices. I faintly hear my guards frantically calling my name and I feel horrible for causing them so much grief. But I have to do this. We run into an underground parking garage where I see my body double near an elevator, wearing an outfit identical to mine.

Ben drags me to a middle row and pulls me down, so we're ducking between cars. He hands me keys and points to a car next to us with blacked out window tinting. "For you," he mouths silently. I nod and smile at him, placing a kiss on his cheek in thanks. I get in the car just as I hear a parade of heavy footsteps, screams and camera flashes. My body double takes this as her cue to push the elevator button and rush onboard. Everyone is chasing the fake me, so no one notices when I pull out of the garage in my banged up '96 Caprice Classic.

_Wow, that was almost _too _easy._ I really owe Tracy one. I sigh in relief and make my way to my destination, hoping against all hope that Jasper will be there and that he'll let me explain. That he'll forgive me. That he'll still want me.

---------------

**A/N:**

**So I hope you enjoyed Alice's side of things, poor girl. And I hope that all of your questions were answered in regards to why she hasn't called, why she never gave him her number, etc. **

**Growing up, my aunt was a PR agent, so I've seen a bit of what celebs go through. And Ali is currently the biggest star is the world, so her situation is obviously on a much grander scale.**

**Two more chapters before this story ends, honey bunch :-) Let me know what you think! And if you haven't reviewed yet, go on and do so. Even a simple "I like it" will make me squee with happiness. **

**Big thanks to my beta, coachlady1. If you look up "fuckawesome hottie" in the dictionary, you'll see her name. True story.**

**Until next time! Smooches! ^_^**


	5. Chapter 5

A/N:

_**--SUPER-DUPER IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT--**_

**If you've read and enjoyed my Public Lovin' Contest collab, Three's Company, please vote for it! Voting began today! Jasper said he'll fondle whoever votes for us. Really!**

**http:// publiclovincontest . blogspot . com/p/nominations . html**

_**--END OF SUPER-DUPER IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT--**_

**Prettyinblack8, you reviewed anonymously, so I couldn't answer your question personally... but yes, it's true about RPattz. "Tracy" is based on me and a few friends who spend more time than normal ogling RobPeen. Yes. We're pervs. A few pictures to drool over (close the spaces):**

**http://2 . bp .blogspot . com/_iNW0qFfSmFM/S57qFgvnaDI/AAAAAAAACuQ/dRf5terltQ8/s1600/from%2Bz%2Bany%2Bmouse . jpg**

**http:// 3. bp . blogspot . com/_iNW0qFfSmFM/S57qLvz045I/AAAAAAAACuY/HCIcUAfIASU/s400/from+Mel24fan . bmp**

**http:// wouldyoutapthat . files . wordpress . com/2010/03/viewstru1 . gif?w=300&h=217**

**http:// www . youtube . com/watch?v=UecktFHxEik&feature=player_embedded**

**So, you see that "M" rating up there? Yeah, that applies for this chapter...**

**I don't own Twilight. If I did, ****I wouldn't need to pine over pictures of Rob's peen. I'd have the real deal stuffed in every orifice of my body all day, every day *iz drooling***

-----------

JPOV

What should have been a one hour drive turned into three and a half fucking hours. Between some car accident, a road block and my getting temporarily lost, I now feel like I'm going to explode and put the smackdown on the next asshole who gets in my way.

_Please let her still be there!_

_She's gone. You know she's gone. You lost your chance. You screwed up__, ass shark!_

I finally find the diner and jump out of the car as soon as it's put in park. Running into the place, I look around frantically, desperate to find her. A family of four... an elderly couple... a group of giggly high schoolers... another family... a few truckers. No Alice.

I jog to the first waitress I see. She's carrying a tray of food, but whoever it belongs to can fucking wait or face my wrath. Okay, not really wrath, but... disdain, maybe? Yeah, they'd definitely catch a side-eye from me. I'm tough.

"Um, excuse me! Hi, um," I look at her name tag, "Tanya! Okay, Tanya, have you seen a little girl come in here? I mean, not a _little girl_. She's a woman, but she's small. Like really small. And she has black hair and beautiful sparkly eyes and a killer body, tight little ass—"

I notice the family close to us is looking at me in disgust and covering their kids' ears. _Oh well, they have to hear about it sooner or later, right?_

I look back to Tanya expectantly, bouncing on the balls of my feet. After a few seconds of thinking, she answers. "No. No one like that has come through here. We've only gotten our regulars today."

I stop bouncing and my shoulders slump in defeat. _She didn't even show up. She never showed up._

I think I mumble a "thanks" to the waitress before dragging my feet outside. Why? Why didn't she come? Is she okay? Did she lose interest? I should have just stayed home and looked at stupid pictures of Ali all day with Emmett. I've wasted gas and time for someone who doesn't care. _She never showed up._

I fumble with my car keys for a few seconds and struggle to find the right key. My mind is in a fog right now and I just can't concentrate. _Why wouldn't she show up? _I can understand if she came and left, since I took so fucking long. But she never _fucking showed._

"Jasper!" I hear someone hiss my name in a loud whisper. I whip my head around, trying to find the person attached to the voice. No one up here knows me. What the hell? Am I hearing shit?

"Jasper! Over here!" Another loud whisper. I notice movement across the street and see an arm waving wildly out of a partially rolled down window. The windows are tinted as fuck and I can't see the person's face.

"Come on! Please hurry!"

Puzzled, I walk to the car, checking both ways before I cross. Old habits die hard. Plus, I don't wanna get smushed to smithereens before I ever even experience a blow job. When I approach the old hunk of junk, the mystery-person-flailing-arm points toward the passenger side door. "Get in!" s/he whispers again, more urgently this time.

"Pffft! Not fucking likely."

I turn around and head back to my car. What the fuck? Like I'm gonna just hop in a car with some deranged mystery person behind blacked out windows. I've seen _Dread_. I _know_ how batshit crazy people can be.

As I prepare to cross the street, I hear giggling. _Her_ giggling. I turn around so fast, I'm pretty sure my neck hates me right now and will gladly make me pay for it later.

"Alice?"

"Yes! Come on, with your paranoid self!"

I could be an actor for a Redbull commercial right about now. I feel like I'm floating on air as I flit around to the passenger's side. Any other time, I would punch myself for flitting, but I gave myself a pass. Just this once.

As soon as I'm in the car, Alice is in my lap, kissing every inch of my face. "I didn't think you'd show! I've missed you so much, you have no idea! I can't wait any more, Jasper. No more games and dilly-dallying around each other. I want to be with you, so much. You're all I think about. Please say we can make it work!" _Holy shit! Am I dreaming?! She wants me?!_

My happiness dulls a little when I realize the desperation and pain in her voice, although I have no clue why. She can't possibly think I don't want her. _Comfort her, taintsmear!_

"Alice. My Alice." I grab her face and bring her lips to mine, holding back an embarrassing groan when I finally taste her. She pulls away much too soon and looks longingly into my eyes.

"Please, Jasper. Please don't leave me."

My eyebrows knit in confusion. "Alice, why would I leave you? You're all I can think about... all I want."

"Remember that. Please. Just... remember that, okay? Promise."

"Um, I promise?" _Anything to make you kiss me again..._

She begins kissing me frantically, moaning every so often into my mouth.

So yeah, my rod could poke a hole through brick right now and I know she feels it as she begins lightly grinding on me. I grab her hips and revel in the firm softness of her ass. _So fucking hot._

Alice pulls away from my lips and kisses the side of my mouth, my jaw, my neck.

"Fuck... Alice... fuuuuuck."

"I love the way you say my name," she breathes through the erratic kisses.

_Maybe if I say it enough, she'll let me reach third base_. "Alice... Alice... Alice."

She pulls back and smiles crookedly at me. "You think you're slick, don't you?"

_Busted!_

I don my innocent puppy dog eyes, reserved for when I need to butter up the women folk. "Slick? Whatever do you mean?"

She rolls her eyes adorably. "Mmmm-hmmm."

Alice begins to lift off of my lap, but I tighten my grip on her. "What are you doing?"

She leans closer to me and licks my bottom lip before placing a soft kiss on my mouth. "We have somewhere to be."

I nuzzle my nose in her neck, breathing in my favorite scent: Essence of Alice. "You smell so amazing." _This can't be real._

She giggles and attempts to get off of me again. I tighten my grip again. This is a great way to cop a few feels. I squeeze a few times to see how far she'll let me go. "Don't change the subject, Jasper."

"Whyyyy?" I whine petulantly, "Why can't we just stay here and..."

"And what?" She crosses her arms indignantly.

"Uh, I was gonna say 'play checkers,' what were _you_ thinking?"

She laughs loudly. "Play checkers, huh?"

I cross my hands over my heart. "Scout's honor!" I pull out the puppy dog eyes again and pout my lips a little for good measure.

"You were a Boy Scout?"

"No."

She laughs again and I wanna record it and put it on my YouTube channel. "I've missed you so much, Jas. No more wasting time, okay? We just... we just _have _to be together and take advantage of our opportunities."

"I agree."

"So let's go. There's a private lake I wanna show you."

My ears perk up at the word "lake."

"Lake? Will there be... skinny dipping at said lake?"

She lifts her perfect little beautiful eyebrow and smirks. "Maybe..."

"Well! Get off me and drive!" _Wow, I can't believe this is real. It's all so natural. Being with Alice is so right._

She laughs and the sound goes straight to my pants. "Anxious, are we?"

She gets off of my lap and crawls back to her side, giving me a delectable view of that fine ass of hers. In my next life, I wanna be Alice's jeans.

On our way to this private lake, I hold Alice's hand between our bodies on the center console and rub my thumb over her skin. We kiss at every red light and fill the silence with jokes and childhood memories. _I can't believe I'm here. With Alice. Laughing. Kissing_.

When we finally get there, Alice parks and I immediately dive for her face, kissing her with everything I have. After about ten minutes, I pull back and rest my forehead against hers, breathing heavily. "Is this real?" I can't help but think this is a dream.

"If it isn't, I don't wanna wake up..."

"I care about you so much, Alice... I thought you didn't show up. I was devastated." I grab her hand and lace our fingers together.

"I care about you, too, Jasper. More than is mentally healthy, actually." She chuckles. "I fell asleep in my car and woke up right as you were about to get into your car. My subconscious has great timing."

"I'm so sorry I was late. There was an accident and traffic and—Mmmm..."

She shuts me up thoroughly when her lips meet mine again. Can I ever get enough of the sweet taste of her lips? Nope. Probably not.

"None of that matters anymore. C'mon, let's go swim!"

She opens up her door and runs to the water, shedding her clothes on the way. I can now swim in my own little lake of drool right here. _Holy fuck, she's beautiful._ She reaches the water and cannonballs in, wearing some boyshorts and a sexy as fuck bra, her ass slightly jiggling with each buoyant step. I must have died in a car wreck and gone to heaven on the way to Seattle. Or maybe I'm still at home, dreaming. Or maybe eating Emmett's vomit-inducing, home-made lasagna has me hallucinating.

Her beautiful face peeks out of the water. "You coming?"

_In my pants? Yes._

Since Alice's half-naked body is out of sight, my brain can function again. I get out of the car and take off my shirt, followed by my pants. I may have imagined it, but I think her eyes slightly bulge when she sees my boxer briefs. That look gives me a surge of pride as I jump in after her.

When I resurface, Alice is in my face, smiling deviously. _Do I have boogers in my nose?_ I rub my hands over my face to wipe off any snottage. "What?"

She answers my question by splashing me relentlessly with water and laughs maniacally as I sputter and flail around in surprise. When I finally catch my bearings, I look at her mischievously and she stops splashing, eyes widening in fear.

"Be afraid, little Alice," I say with eerie calm. "Be very afraid."

Her eyes widen even further. "Meep!" She turns around and makes a mad dash, swimming toward the car, but she's no match for my speed. I'm one of the fastest swimmers in Forks. I catch her before she reaches the shore and push her against a rock.

When her eyes meet mine, I can't help but laugh loudly. "Did you say 'meep'? What the hell was that?"

I'm laughing hard as hell and her cute little scowl makes me laugh even harder. Looking as scary as a little angry gerbil. I'm gasping for air and my side is starting to hurt.

"Shut up, meanie-head!" She splashes me again and my laughter dies in my throat.

"Bad idea, Alice." I push my body closer to hers and my plans for payback are forgotten when I feel her bare skin against mine.

I grind my hips into her and begin kissing up and down her neck, kneading her perfect breasts in my palms. She grips her hands in my hair, tipping her head back to give me more access to her succulent flesh. "Mmmm... you taste so fucking good, Alice."

I'm growing impossibly harder with each mewl and moan that comes out of her mouth. "I want you, Jasper." She reaches into the warm water and grabs my cock through my boxers, and I almost come right then and there, her fingers sparking eruptions across my skin.

I keep one hand on the boulder, right beside her head and slowly lower the other down and pull her panties to the side, running my fingers across her slick skin. _Fuck, so wet._

"Oh, please, I need you..." she whispers into the skin of my chest, flicking my nipples with her hot tongue._ Fuuuck._

I pull my cock out of my shorts and position myself at her entrance, looking into her eyes to make sure this is okay. She kisses me passionately and I know this is her way of telling me that this is _more_ than fucking okay.

I push myself into her and moan loudly when I'm fully sheathed inside of her. So fucking hot and wet and good. She screams my name and I have to take a few seconds to control myself. But Alice has other plans. She reaches above her head and grabs the rock for leverage before bouncing on top of me. _This has to be a fucking dream!_

I just stand there as she rides me, dumbstruck, feeling so fucking _good_. Her breasts are bouncing in my face and I don't know what to fucking do besides... _stand there_. She looks into my eyes and lets go of the rock, grabbing my face in her tiny hands. "Don't leave me."

"I won't." I kiss her while gripping her hips as I begin moving in and out of her. Feeling her squeezing and pulsing around me, our loud moans evaporating into the wilderness around us. So fucking soft and silky and fucking _good._

I pull out fully before driving back into her, hard and deep. Again and again, pumping harder with each sensuous noise she makes. _Fuck, she's so sexy._ The top of her breast pops out of her bra, her pink nipple taunting me. I pick up the pace and take her hardened peak into my mouth, sucking and licking and biting as her screams add fuel to the inferno growing inside of me.

"Jasper!"

She firmly grips my shoulders and I feel her constricting tightly around me as she orgasms, clamping around my cock gloriously. Her face is flushed, and beautiful, her chest heaving as her gorgeous body writhes around. She whispers my name as I thrust deeper, harder.

I bury my face in the skin of her shoulder, biting and kissing any skin within my reach. "Alice... you're so beautiful… fuck...." _So fucking good._

"THERE SHE IS!"

"SHE'S WITH A GUY! IT'S HER!"

"HURRY UP! SHE'S RIGHT THERE!"

_Th__e hell?_

I stop moving, thoroughly pissed at whoever is interrupting my time with my girl. I look around and see a mob of people running toward us. Lights are flashing and everyone is yelling. What the fuck is going on?! My heart starts pounding in my chest as they get nearer. Their blood-curdling screams becoming clearer. _What is this?! _People are tripping and stomping over each other, and there are a few young girls in the mix shrieking and hopping up and down.

This is so fucking weird and _not_ okay! I hug Alice closer to me and shield her body with my own, protecting her from the hoard of people stampeding toward us.

"ALI! IS THIS YOUR BOY TOY?"

"ALI! ARE YOU TWO MARRIED?"

"ALI, IS THIS THE SAME GUY YOU SNUCK OFF WITH?"

"ARE YOU PREGNANT?"

_Ali? What the fuck are they talking about__, __Ali__?__!_

I turn back to Alice and her face is pale, eyes wide and teary. Her body is shaking, a quivering hand covering her mouth.

"ALI, WHAT KIND OF CONDOM DO YOU USE?"

"ARE YOU TWO NAKED UNDER THERE?"

"ALI! I LOVE YOU! OMIGOD! CAN I HAVE AN AUTOGRAPH?!"

"ALI! ALI! ALI! AAAAAHHHH! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S YOU! I LOVE YOU!"

_Wait a minute... Alice... Ali..._

"ALI, HOW LONG HAVE YOU TWO BEEN SEEING EACH OTHER?"

"ALI, IS THIS A PUBLICITY STUNT?"

_**Is **__this a publicity stunt?! I think I'm gonna be sick._

----------------

**A/N:**

**Poor Jasper****. What a sucky way to find out.**** :-(**

**So, remember when I said there was only one chapter left? Well, it turns out that I'm a rotten, filthy liar. These two have more to tell, so there'll be two chapters after this. Maybe an epi**** as well****.**

**So, I **_**had**_** to sneak some sexin' in here. I'm too much of a perv **_**not**_** to have sexin' in a story! It may seem like it's too soon for some of you, but these two have intense feelings for one another and feel as though they've already wasted too much time away from each other. So now, they're just going with the flow and **_**feeling**_** instead of worrying and thinking about shit to death.**** Being together feels right, so... yeah...**

**coachlady1 is my beta. Jealous? You **_**should **_**be.**

**If you're of legal age, check out my naughty Jasper one shot for The Best Domination Ever Contest called Bella's Dirty Notebook. It's my most popular fic ever, which is so frakkin' awesome!**

**Are you on the Twitter? Follow me Tiffnificent**

**Until Next Time! Smooches! ^_^**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:**

**I have no excuses for how long I took to update. I fail. I know. Sowwy :-(**

**xxxxxxxxxxx**

**JPOV**

Those fucking photographers are still yelling and flapping their gums... but I don't hear any of it. My heart is thundering in my chest, blood rushing through my ears. I'm pretty fucking sure I'm having a stroke or something. But all I can think of is the fact that fucking _Ali_ used me. The look on her face is enough to confirm everything I'm thinking. Pity is etched in every line of her face. She's speaking to me, her lips are moving, but I hear none of it. A small hand reaches out to touch my face, but I quickly jerk away. _I don't need your fucking pity_.

This water is too... _confining. _The gentle ripples feel like tsunamis against my skin.I need space. I need air. I need to be away from this... from _her._

I look down to make sure she's decent before swimming away. My legs are wobbly and my arms are dead fucking weights, each tendon feeling like a 100-pound block of lead. It seems like it takes twelve fucking years before I finally reach the shore and jog to the car. The whole way, men are rushing at me, running by my side as I try to make my escape.

_"WHAT'S YOUR NAME?"_

_"HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN SEEING ALI?"_

_"ALI HAS A NEW ALBUM COMING OUT, IS THIS A PUBLICITY STUNT?"_

_"I'LL BET IT WAS GOOD TO BE USED BY ALI, HUH, KID?"_

As I close the door behind me, I realize that I'm half naked, but there's no fucking way I'm going back out there to get my clothes. It's still a fucking mess. Cameras are being pressed to the windows and they're still screaming questions at me. _It's too much._

I blast the heat to stop shivering. It doesn't help. I'm chilled to the bone, but it has nothing to do with my being wet.

_She used me._

_She fucking _used _me._

My stomach flip flops and my breathing becomes labored. _Fuck!_ I haven't had an asthma attack for years. My goddamn inhaler is laying in a useless heap in my underwear drawer, like the good-for-nothing bastard that it is. _Great._ As if this day could get any _more_ fucked up. Just my luck. _Just my fucking luck._

All of the "no more wasting time" talk was a bunch of bullshit. She probably told those fuckers where we would be, right down to the GPS fucking latitude and longitude of this piece of shit lake.

_Yes, let's all laugh at the clueless fool who had no inkling of a thought that he was dating Ali._

The kissing, the fondling, the flirting, the sex... every-fucking-thing has been a lie. Something to further her career, sell more albums, produce more iTunes downloads, get her stupid ass videos voted number one on those dumb ass video countdown shows. All of it. Every. Single. Moment... meant _nothing_ to her.

_**I **_mean nothing to her.

A rapid knock on the window snaps me out of my thoughts. _Her._

I should drive the fuck off and leave her ass here, I really should. I really fucking want to. I'm sure her _real _boyfriend can give her a ride. Shit, she's probably fucking one of the photogs. _Just drive the fuck off and make her deal with the shit storm she's brought on herself. She sure as hell deserves it._

But even as that thought enters my head, I know I can't do it. I still... I fucking love her. God, I'm a douche. A pussy ass, wimpy, foolish, douchescicle.

I unlock the doors and she hurries inside. For the second that her door is open, the cacophony of noise barrages my ears at a deafening level. The sounds become muted again when she shuts herself in the car and engages the locks.

"Jasper. I'm--"

"No. Don't." _I can't bear to hear your rejection._

_Here come the tears. How predictable. Take acting classes, did we, dear Ali?_

"Please, I didn't—"

"Fucking. _Don't!_"

"Just—"

"_NO!_ I don't wanna hear a motherfucking thing you have to say! Save your fucking breath, _Ali!_"

She gasps and more tears fall down her face as she silently pleads with me. That face. The face I'd spent so long dreaming about, daydreaming about, wishing I could hold and kiss... now more than anything, I want to be away from that face. Those bloodshot eyes, the red tipped nose, the lips that look as though they want to confess and be done with me...

I whip my head around, put the car in drive and leave those paparazzi fuckers in my dust. Literally. Chuckling like a motherfucker as they cough and claw at their eyes.

Ha. Motherfucking. Ha.

_Bitches._

As mile after mile quickly stretch behind us, I begin to piece everything together. It all makes sense now. How could someone as radiantly beautiful as her, want anything to do with a geeky nobody like me? The answer is simple: She doesn't. She didn't. She never did.

_She used me._

Her and her snooty celebrity friends will probably have a field day with this one. I can just imagine Ali sitting in a circle of friends, laughing with tears streaking across her cheeks, face red with amusement.

_"He really thought I wanted him! You should have seen his face! Priceless!"_

My anger and embarrassment boil over and my fists tighten around the steering wheel. I'm gonna be the laughing stock of every blog in the galaxy. Probably _Andromeda_, too. _Fuck! How could I have been so stupid?_

"Jasper, there's just—"

"Goddamn it... I don't want to... hear it... okay? Just fucking... _spare me! _I get it... okay?"

It's getting harder for me to breathe, only able to get out a few words at a time. But I ignore it. Air is inconsequential right now. Alice used to _be_ my air. How fucking fitting that I'm now struggling to pull enough into my body.

She reaches out a hand and I once again move away from her touch. "Are you okay?"

"Fucking... _peachy._"

I throw the car into park in front of Pete's Diner. The place looked so bright and full of life before, when my future seemed so promising as thoughts of Alice consumed my every thought. Now, as the sun sets, it looks lonely, dejected. Black shadows slowly stretch out from the corners, engulfing the building in desolate, murky darkness.

Without a word, I open my door and step out. Honestly, there's nothing I can think of to say. Nothing seems appropriate.

_It was fun, thanks for the fuck?_

_Thanks for breaking my heart, have a nice life?_

No, I'd rather say nothing at all. I hear her sobbing as I slam the door shut, closing her out of my life for good.

The _really_ fucked up part is that, no matter how much she's screwed me over, I still wanna wrench open that damn door and hold her... comfort her and whisper soothing words into her hair while I caress her delicate skin under my fingertips...

But I just can't. I can't fucking do it. Even though it rips my heart to shreds, I can't go back. Not after what she's done. My ego has taken enough of a fucking ass pounding today.

I distract myself on the way home, only allowing my brain to think about my breathing as it gets increasingly harder to bring air into my lungs. My wheezing is growing louder and it brings me comfort. It's a damn good distraction, not being able to breathe. As I pass the "Welcome to Forks" sign, my head is spinning, floating. I'm so fucking dizzy. I just want to close my eyes... but I know that that would be a really fucking retarded thing to do. _Almost there._

My lungs are so tight. Can't get enough air. My breath coming out in short, pathetic gasps. _Fuck, this is bad._ I scramble for my phone while keeping my eyes on the road, thankful as all hell that I left it charging in the cigarette lighter.

It rings once.

Twice.

_Pick up. Answer the fucking phone._

Four times.

My sight is dimming and I know I'm about to lose consciousness. I pull the car over and park in front of a gas station.

"Jasper! Dude! You're the fucking man!—Jasper? You okay?"

My hands are so weak. I'm so fucking tired. I drop the phone, telling myself that I'm just resting my eyes. I'll talk in a second. Just need to close my eyes and let this pass...

xxxxxxxxx

**A/N:**

**I know I'm evil. Next chapter will come faster, I promise. Sorry for the short chapter, but I wanted to get this out to you guys as fast as possible. You've done enough waiting. **

***hangs head in shame***

**My o/s Three's Company won second place in the Public Lovin' Contest! I'm so stoked! Thanks to everyone who voted for me, you fuckin' **_**rock**_**!!! *fist pump***

**Now, voting for the Best Domination Ever Contest has begun and will end on the 9th. Please vote for little ol' me. Jasper said he'll do a striptease for everyone who votes for my fic. No, I'm not above bribing. Bella's Dirty Notebook has been my most popular story to date, which is so awesome!**

**Here's the linkage: http://www . fanfiction . net/u/2284419/Best_Domination_Ever_Contest**

**As you know, coachlady1 is my beta. Yes, you should be jealous. Her beta skills are freakin' **_**epic**_**.**

**Until next time! Smooches! ^_^**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:**

**So yeah... real life is an asshole. I'm incredibly sorry for the super long time-span between updates. You all know I usually don't take so long, but some things have been going on and I've just found it hard to get in the right frame of mind. Please forgive me? *pouts and gropes your butt***

xxxxxxxxxxx

**APOV**

I squeeze my eyes shut as I slam my phone down and try like hell not to scream in frustration. I'm so sick of all of the manipulation and just... _fakeness _and _bullshit_!

Aro. Fucking Aro—the most infamous paparazzo, known for his extreme ass-kissing to get in the good graces of celebrities—had been good to me over the years. He was creepy with his overly sweet and obviously fake demeanor, but he'd never published a bad photograph of me and was never one to sell his pictures to cheap gossip rags. Aro and I'd had—emphasis on _had_—a good relationship over the past three years. He wouldn't bug me, wouldn't pester, wouldn't sell horrible pictures of me... and in turn, I would be a nice little girl and pose and look cute for him whenever we ran into each other. Aro never had to fight other photographers for the "shot" with me. I'd always given it to him. That's how we worked.

Imagine my surprise when, not twenty minutes ago, my phone rang, I'd had my new number for less than two weeks thanks to hackers constantly discovering, and distributing it, and I saw a blocked number on my caller id. And imagine my extreme bewilderment when Aro's voice was the one that greeted me. He kept up the syrupy-sweet façade, asking how I was after the whole Jasper debacle. It hadn't even happened more than two hours ago, but apparently a video and pictures were spreading like wildfire across the internet and celebrity gossip shows.

I was honest and told him I was feeling like crap. He laughed and joked a bit while I pretty much stayed silent on my end, wishing he'd shut up and tell me what he had to say. Just when I was about to open my mouth and tell him to shut it, he informed me that he'd followed Jasper home to try and get some good shots. I could have strangled Aro for being so callous, but I kept my mouth shut and let him continue with the story. When he was almost to Forks, Jasper pulled over but didn't get out. Aro said that after five minutes of no movement, he began to wonder what was going on.

At this point in the story, I began to worry. Jasper was having trouble breathing when he got out of the car. _Was he okay?_ My heart began pounding in my chest and I just wanted Aro to tell me if my Jas was okay or not.

He said he walked up to the car and Jasper appeared to be asleep, so he knocked on the window. When Jasper didn't budge, Aro claimed to have been worried—_yeah right_—so he opened the door and heard faint gasps coming from Jas. Aro figured it was asthma, since his protégé had the ailment, so he was pretty familiar with it. Luckily, said protégé kept a portable breathing machine in Aro's glove compartment, so Aro acted quickly and revived Jasper.

I thanked Aro profusely, tears pricking my eyes when I thought about how close I was to never laying eyes on Jas again. But Aro was quick to get to the point, the reason for the sudden call. He'd taken pictures of Jasper while he was unconscious and hinted that he could easily conjure up a story of Jasper being an out-of-control drug and sex addict who was using me for my money. Of course, people would believe the lies since there was photographic proof.

Aro threatened that if I didn't cooperate, the pictures and story would be everywhere by tomorrow afternoon. I couldn't let him do that. Jasper deserved to be left alone, to be as far away as possible from this world. His association with me was already bad enough. If this story was leaked, he would be harassed day and night by interviewers, stalkers, fans... I would _not_ let that happen. So I agreed to do whatever Aro wanted. As he listed off his demands, I felt bile rise in my throat at the casualness of his voice. Actually, "casual" wasn't the right word... _giddy _was more like it. The man was giddy and he was blackmailing me! No remorse in his tone, no hesitancy in his words. I was disgusted.

And now I'm pissed beyond words as I dial Bella's number to let her know about the deal. When I'm finished telling her, her voice explodes into my ear.

"WHAT? _Please_ tell me you're joking, Ali! This is major! You have an image to uphold!"

I sigh heavily. "I know."

"This is _horrible!_" she continues.

"I know."

"Just let the bastard release the photos. This Jasper guy has nothing to lose. _You_ do."

I take the phone from my ear and pause for a few seconds, looking at the device like it smelled like a bum's ball sack. When her words finally registered, I snapped.

"Bella, shut up. Shut up before I do or say something I'll regret in the morning. Don't _ever_ say that again!" My voice slowly grows shriller with each word. "Nothing to lose? _Nothing? _How about a normal fucking life? Huh? How about _that_? He doesn't deserve this _bullshit,_ so don't you fucking _dare_ imply that he isn't important simply because he isn't on location in Tahiti making millions of dollars every time he opens his mouth!"

"Ali, I'm sorry—"

"You _should _be! Jasper _is_ important. He _is_ somebody and he _does_ have a lot to lose!" I hang up in her face before I fire her for her stupid every-man-for-himself Hollywood mentality.

Fuck Aro. Fuck Bella. Fuck _everybody_! The world can kiss my pale little ass! Cocksuckers! Fuckheads! Fraudulent bitches!

"ARGH!" I pick up my phone and hurl it across the room, smirking as I watch it shatter into tiny pieces.

xxxxxxxxxxx

Over the next week, I try calling Jasper repeatedly. He doesn't answer my calls and I don't expect him to. I leave messages pleading with him to call me. But I never hear from him.

After that first week, I stop keeping track of the time. Since I'm always on the move and constantly in a bus or a stadium, I hardly ever see the sun or moon, so I can't even calculate how many days have passed that way. Even if I could, I wouldn't want to. I don't care. My life is now on auto-pilot: Wake up in the middle of the night, call Jasper. Go back to sleep and be woken up three hours later. Call Jasper. Rehearsal. Call Jasper. Voice training. Call Jasper. Phone interviews. Call Jasper. A few physical interviews with a phone call to Jasper between each one. Call Jasper on the way to the next venue where I'm performing, call Jasper before the show and between each set, call Jasper when the show is over.

"Ali?"

"Hmm?" My voice is hollow and I'm having difficulty trying to pay attention to Tracy while thinking about calling Jasper.

"When was the last time you ate, hun?"

_Hmmm. Good question._ "This morning."

_That's a lie. But she doesn't have to know._

"Pffft. Am I supposed to believe that?"

"Sure."

"Al... I'm worried. Really worried. Do you... have a problem?"

"Problem?"

"Um, I don't know how to ask this without sounding—fuck it. I'll just ask... are you anorexic?"

"What? No! Why would you ask that?"

"Look at yourself. You've lost so much weight! Your costumes have had to be refitted _twice_. Haven't you noticed?"

I look down at my body and shrug. _It's just a few ribs showing. No big deal._ "I just forget to eat. I'm busy."

"Well, I brought you some barbecue and I'm not leaving till you've eaten it all. We're in Texas, you _have_ to eat barbecue when you're in Texas!"

When Tracy puts the plate in front of me, my belly rumbles violently. _Way to be subtle, stomach._

I take a bite of the pulled pork and the rest of the world dissolves around me as that first nibble drips down my throat. It's only me and my barbecue as I quickly devour everything in record time, moaning blissfully when a new flavor bursts on my tongue. When all of the meat is gone, I move on to the sides, making sure they don't get neglected. _Since when has macaroni been so damn good?_

Tracy's laugh breaks through my haze. "Damn girl, _breathe!_"

_Shut up. Eating._

The biscuits are next. I pick them up and swipe them through the leftover sauce, finishing off four biscuits in five bites.

When the plate is empty, I lick my fingers and reach to pick up the plate so I can lick it clean, but Tracy the Hater gets it first and carries it to the kitchen area. I grumble and lick my fingers again to make sure I didn't leave anything behind the first time.

"So, I'm glad you don't have an eating disorder..."

I roll my eyes. "I told you I didn't. You've seen how busy I am. You're _here. _Which reminds me, I gotta go."

I quickly get up and jog to my cell, pushing number one to speed dial. It goes to voicemail, like I figured it would, and I wait for the beep.

"Hi Jasper. Um, it's me. Alice. Um, I don't know if you got my other messages or not, but I'll give you my number again in case you haven't. Jasper, I'm so sorry. Really sorry. I would never—I just need to explain why I didn't—"

"Your message has surpassed the—"

_Stupid operator and your stupid time limits!_ Why can't I ever get straight to the point? Why do I always beat around the bush and blabber like a fool?

My phone rings and my heart almost jumps out of my chest as I hit the talk button. "Jasper? Jasper, I'm so glad you called! I just—"

"No babes. It's me. Bella."

"Oh." I can't hide the disappointment in my tone.

"Have you seen the latest issue of _People_?"

"No. Why?"

"Ali, to put it simply, you look horrible. Emaciated. Painfully thin—"

I huff in annoyance. "Okay, I _get_ it!"

"People are starting to talk, Ali, and we need to do damage control. To appease Aro, I've set up an interview with Jane." I begin to protest but am abruptly cut off.

"Don't go there, Ali! It'll be killing two birds with one stone. You know Jane will be her typical bitchy self and will be tactlessly straightforward, so you'll get to the nitty gritty as quickly as possible. _And _this exclusive interview will further her pathetic career while you simultaneously clear the air and assure the worried mothers of teeny-boppers that you do _not_ have an eating disorder."

"Fine. When?"

"Tomorrow in between morning rehearsals and vocal training."

"Great," I reply dryly. "Can't wait."

We talk for a few more minutes before I have to get off the phone to sign another pile of glossy pictures that will be sold at the next concert. _I wonder how much these things are sold for..._

xxxxxxxxxx

Over the next however long it was, days, weeks, everyone around me made it their life mission to stuff my face. For the first time in my life, I had to hire a personal trainer because I was gaining weight in places I'd never thought I'd gain weight in. I hate exercising. I _really _hate exercising.

After today's training session with Zafrina, I honestly wanted to murder her even though it would be pointless. Any sharp object would just bend and snap as soon as it made contact with her titanium abs. _Damn Amazon..._

I'm now sitting on my bus going who knows where, reading and answering fan mail. Since I get tens of thousands of letters a day, I had to hire a few people who read through my letters and send the more interesting ones on to Bella. She then reads through that pile and gives me the ones she thinks I'd be most interested in.

After answering the tenth letter of the day, I pick up the next envelope and my breath catches when I see the name Jasper Whitlock. I take the letter out of the envelope with shaky hands and take a deep breath before reading.

_Alice,_

_I miss you, but I'm not ready to talk yet. Write me back and tell me everything. I'm ready to hear what you have to say._

_Yours, _

_Jasper_

I read the words over and over in my head until my mind can make sense of them and hurriedly pick up a pen, preparing to bare my soul.

xxxxxxxxx

**A/N:**

**Do I smell a reconciliation? :-)**

**Check out my Alternate Shipper Contest entry called This Summer. It's different from my other stuff, but Jasper's a sweaty farmer, so that makes up for it. Right?**

**As you know, coachlady1 beta'd the hell out of this chapter. She freakin' **_**rocks**_** and she's aaaaaall mine! *growls at anyone who gets too close***

**Until next time! Smooches! ^_^**


End file.
